Method and apparatus for reeling web material

ABSTRACT

This invention relates to a vacuum reel spool for use on a paper machine reel. The surface of the reel spool is perforated along substantially its entire length and the vacuum produced therein urges the ballooned portion of web formed between a previously wound roll and a new reel spool into the nip between the reel drum and reel spool at high speeds thereby permitting the reel to operate continuously at papermaking speeds.

States Patent 1 [111 3,743,199 Karr et al. July 3, 1973 METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR REELING l,894,253 1/1933 McCarthy 242/65 WEB MATERIAL FOREIGN PATENTS R APPLICATIONS [751 Invenwm gi f 623.155 /1949 Great Britain 242/ 0 o e lo is.; o saflord Alken Primary Examiner-George F. Mautz [73] Assignee: Belolt Corporation, Beloit, Wis. Assistant Examiner-Edward J. McCarthy [22] Filed, Sept 2 1971 Attorney-Dirk J. Veneman et al.

N 7 [21] Appl o 1 7,224 [5 ABSTRACT 52] U 8 Cl 242/ 242/74 This invention relates to a vacuum reel spool for use on [51] m8 B65h /28 a paper machine reel. The surface of the reel spool is [58] Fieid 242/65 74 75 2 perforated along substantially its entire length and the 42 5 vacuum produced therein urges the ballooned portion of web formed between a previously wound roll and a l spool into the nip between the reel drum and [56] References Cited new fee reel spool at high speeds thereby permitting the reel to UNITED STATES PATENTS operate continuously at papermaking speeds. 2,575,631 11/1951 Link 242/68 2,385,692 9/1945 Corbin 242/65 X 6 Claims, 8 Drawing Figures gill Panama July 3, 1973 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 ROBERT D SAFFORD BY W M Pat-ted July 3, 1973 3,748,199

5 Sheets-Sheet 5 FIG 5 GERALD w. KARR ROBERT E. PAGE ROBERT D. SAFFORD IY W M Pakutod July 3, 1973 3,748,199

5 Sheets-Sheet 4 FIG 7 GERALD w. KARR ROBERT E. PAGE ROBERT'D. SAFFORD Pain-(d July 3, 1973 3,748,199

5 Sheets-Sheet 5 'VPRIOR ART FIG8 GERALD W. KARR ROBERT E. PAGE ROBERT USAFFORD METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR REELING WEB MATERIAL BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention pertains to the art of winding, or reeling, as it is sometimes called in the Paper Industry. More specifically, it is directed to a method and apparatus for forming a succession of wound rolls of web material from a continuous oncoming supply, particularly when the web is traveling at high speeds such as about 3,500 feet per minute and above, or when espe? cially light webs, such as tissue paper, are being reeled, even at slower speeds.

Many designs of reels for winding webs into rolls are known. Examples of early and relatively recent reels are shown in U.S. Pats. Nos. 1,117,114 and 3,116,031. They illustrate the general trend in reel design from the type wherein a reel spool is manually loaded onto the reel drum and removed before another reel is started to the relatively automatic and continuous operation of a modern reel wherein new reel spools are started just before the sheet is severed from the previously wound roll.

The innovations associated with the development of more automatic reels were brought on by the necessity of continuously handling the web being produced, as by a paper machine, without incurring the expenses and inefficiencies inherent in the intermittent hand starting of new reel spools.

However, regardless of whether reels were operated intermittently by hand or continuously and started automatically, prior reel spools were always a solid or hollow shaft having an unperforated surface. As the speed of paper machines has increased to effect operating economies, difficulty has been experienced in starting new reel spools on automatically loading type reels. This occurs when the air layer carried by the web becomes, especially at higher speeds, sufficiently strong to hinder and even prevent the ballooned web portion trailing the just completed roll from dropping down to be nipped between a new reel spool and the reel drum, thereby simultaneously breaking the sheet between the completed roll and starting the winding on a new reel spool.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION This invention reduces the air film or layer in the immediate vicinity of the nip between the new reel spool and the reel drum where the winding of the new spool begins. This facilitates the insertion of the ballooned portion of the web, extending from the roll having just been wound, into the nip between the new reel spool and the reel drum, thereby greatly promoting continuous operation, especially at higher speeds and when a lightweight web is being wound, such as tissue paper.

Each reel spool is made of a hollow, perforated shaft wherein the journal on at least one end is bored through axially to allow easy air removal therethrough from the inside of the reel spool. A bracket is mounted to each primary reel arm which holds and positions the reel spools. A coupling is also mounted to the primary reel arms which is linked to a' source of subatmospheric, or vacuum, pressure and is adapted to communicate this sub-atmospheric pressure to the inside of the reel spool about to be wound via the end of the open reel spool journal.

When the reel being wound is done, it is moved away from the driving reel drum and consequently begins to slow down. This speed differential produces a ballooned portion of unwound web which generally extends upwardly and backwardly against the direction of the oncoming web.

When the web is moving relatively slowly, around 2,500 feet per minute for example, the ballooned web usually falls into the gap between the reel drum and a new reel spool under its own weight to be nipped therebetween as the reel arms bring it into position. However, at higher speeds, around 3,500 feet per minute for example, the air film carried by a web consisting of tissue paper will greatly hinder and even prevent the ballooned portion from falling into this nip.

This problem has only recently been encountered as the speeds of new machines have increased. Prior to this invention, the manner of effecting web transfer required either the machine to be slowed down and operated below its capacity or the reel operator to risk ruining costly equipment and his safety by trying to force the web into the nip with a pole, air jet, glue or other tool. None of these alternatives was really a solution.

It is, therefore, an object of this invention to provide a web winding reel capable of continuously producing wound rolls from an oncoming web at high web speeds, in the range of about 3,500 feet per minute, or greater.

Another object is to promote web stability and continuous operation during the winding operation by reducing the boundary air film layer carried by the web as it approaches and is nipped between the reel spool and reel drum.

The feature of the invention is the provision of a perforated, vacuum reel spool to facilitate its initial contact with the web.

These and other objects, features and advantages will become apparent as the description of the preferred embodiment is read in conjunction with the drawings which are a part hereof.

IN THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a reel showing a finished wound roll and a new reel spool just beginning to be wound with still another reel spool positioned above the reel drum to be used next.

FIG. 2 is a side view, partially in section, of the reel spool in sealing engagement with the vacuum coupling and being held by a bracket on a primary arm.

FIG. 3 is a schematic side elevational view showing a roll being wound against the reel drum.

FIG. 4 is a schematic side elevational view of a roll just being finished and the trailing unwound portion beginning to be ballooned upwardly.

FIG. 5 is a schematic side elevational view of a roll having been wound and showing the trailing portion of the web ballooning up over the vacuum reel spool and about to be drawn into its nip with the reel drum.

FIG. 6 is a schematic side elevational view showing the web at the moment it is nipped between the new new reel spool and reel drum.

FIG. 7 is a schmatic side elevational view showing the new reel spool in position to begin forming a new roll just after the web has been nipped with the reel drum and torn from the previously wound roll.

FIG. 8 is a schematic side elevational view of a prior art reel having a reel spool with an unperforated shell surface and illustrating how the air layer accompanying the web prevents the ballooned portion of the web from being nipped.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT In FIG. 1, a paper machine reel is shown having a reel drum 10 rotatably mounted onto a frame 12. A suitable means, such as motor 14,-is connected to reel drum 10 through a standard coupling (not shown) to drive it variably about its longitudinal axis 11 at a desired speed.

It should be understood that both sides of the reel are identical, except where noted, and the description and drawings therefore need only be directed to one of such sides.

A pair of primary arms 16 are also mounted on frame 12, one on either end of reel drum 10, to pivotally rotate co-axially therewith. A gear segment 18 is formed on the lower part of each arm 16 and is meshed with a pinion 20 fixed to a cross shaft 22 linking both sides. A bearing housing 21 on either side of frame 12 rotatably supports cross shaft 22. Pinion 20 is driven by a motor 24 which is connected to shaft 22 through a standard speed reducer (not shown).

The top portion of primary arms 16 extend upwardly and include a rectilinear slotted inner slide surface 26 on which a holding bracket 28 is mounted for slidable movement thereon. Holding bracket 28 has a slot 25 in its lower surface and is moved up and down to engage and retain journal 56 of a reel spool 58 against a cam 31 by operation of a piston in pressure cylinder 32 which is linked to bracket 28 through linkage 34.

Mounted on the outside of each of the arms 16, is a retractably engageable coupling generally referred to as item 36 which is seen more clearly in FIG. 2. A bracket 38 is bolted onto arm 16 and supports an actuating device 40, such as an air actuated piston commercially available under the trade name Rotochamber, which is connected to a butt flange 42 through a linkage 44 which is pivotally connected to actuator rod 45 with pin 47 into flange 42 through pin 43. Bell crank linkage 44 is pivotally secured to a downwardly extending lug 39 of bracket 38 through pin 46. A seal 41 having suitable resilient and slidingproperties such as neoprene or teflon is cemented to the end of flange 42 and is biased against the end cover 69 of a bearing housing 62 on each reel spool journal by pressure exerted by actuator 40 through linkage 44.

A pipe 48 mounted on bracket 38 is attached to flange 42 by a semi-flexible hose 50 with clamps 52. A source of sub-atmospheric pressure, such as vacuum pump 54, is connected to pipe 48 via a hose represented by arrow 55 which is also flexible to allow rotation of primary arms 16 about drum axis.

Journal 56 of a reel spool 58, in FIG. 2, is a hollow cylinder open at both ends with the outer end cover 69 of bearing housing 62 having a butt surface 60 against which seal 41 of flange 42 bears. A bearing housing 62 is rotatably mounted around the end of each of journals 56 on either end of the reel spool, each on two sets of bearings 64 spaced axially therealong. One set is shown in the partially broken away view of the end and the other is beneath the raised inner end 66 of each housing 62. A seal 68 is positioned between the end of the journal and bearing housing 62 to prevent the vacuum produced by pump 54 from drawing the lubricant out of bearing 64.

Journal 56 is secured to a head 70 which in turn is secured to a cylindrical shell 72 having a longitudinal axis of rotation 73 forming the surface of reel spool 58. Both of these connections are made by press fits. A plurality of perforations 74 are formed uniformly in the surface of shell 72 along substantially the entire face width thereof. Obviously, such perforations could have many configurations such as slots extending longitudinally or circumferentially of the roll axis or circular holes. The other end of reel spool 58 (not shown) is identical with the end just described. A vacuum is applied to both ends through identical couplings 36.

The outermost raised portion 67 of housing 62 bears against arm 16 under the influence of gravity and holding bracket 28 as seen in FIGS. 1 and 2. On the bottom, the reel spool is supported on the outermost surface of its bearing housing end cover 69 by cam 31 which is secured to frame 12 through a pivot pin 76 mounted in bearing 78 in housing 80. The lower end of cam 31 is pivotally linked to the arm 82 of a pressure cylinder 84 through pin 86. Pressure cylinder 84 is mounted to frame 12 and upon actuation, allows the reel spool, supported on cam 31, to be deposited on the reel drum and the nip pressure to be relieved as desired. When the primary arms 16 are in their uppermost position, as shown in FIG. 1, reel spool 58 is held above the surface of reel drum 10 by cam 31.

Beneath the end of cam 31 a secondary arm 88 is positioned to receive and hold reel spool 58 against reel drum 10. The lowerend of secondary arm 88 is pivotally mounted on journal 90 through bearing 92 which in turn is mounted in a forked bracket 94. The upper end of secondary arm 88 is divided into two arm extensions 96,98. A roller 99 is mounted onto the end of arm 96 to bear against the reel spool bearing housing. Arm 98 has an outer arm member 100 pivotally connected at its end through pin 102. The upper end of member 100 is equipped with a roller 104 similar to roller 99 on arm 96. The lower end is equipped with a weight 106 which maintains member 100 in a generally vertical position. The weight also acts as a stop against arm member 98 to prevent member 100 from pivoting beyond a predetermined substantially vertical position as secondary arm 88 is moved away from reel drum 10. Thus, arm member 100 can carry reel spool 58 away from reel drum 10 but will rotate inwardly so as to allow roller 99 to apply force against spool housing 62 when arm 88 returns to operating position after withdrawing the previous reel spool from drum 10.

The end 108 of rod 110 of pressure cylinder 112 is pivotally mounted on secondary arm 88, intermediate the ends thereof. The other end of pressure cylinder 112 is fastened to frame 12. If desired, secondary arms 88 on each side of frame 12 may be linked for movement together through a cross shaft (not shown).

OPERATION in initial startup operation, a spool is positioned at 29 and nipped with reel drum 10 by pressure cylinder 112 acting through secondary arm 88 while a web W travels at a relatively slow speed over the top of the reel drum in direction of arrow 27 and around the reel spool 29. As the reel drum is brought up to speed, and the web is being wound into a roll on spool 29, another reel spool 58 is brought into position above reel drum 10, as by a crane or self-loading mechanism, and pressure cylinder 32 is activated to bring holding brackets 28 into position to secure it against cam 31 and slide surface 26. Actuator 411 is activated to bring the seal surface 41 of coupling 36 into sealed engagement with the butt end 60 of reel spool bearing housing 62. Seal 41 has a sufficiently smooth surface to allow some relative movement, either rotationally or transaxially with respect to the longitudinal axis of rotation, thereof about the butt surface 60 of bearing housing 62 without breaking the vacuum seal in between. Since a coupling 36 is attached to each of the primary arms 16, both axial rotation and transaxial movement (i.e. radially inwardly or outwardly with respect to the reel drums axis 11 of rotation) can occur when the reel spool is rotated downwardly about the reel drum. Cam 31 does not have its entire radius of curvature congruent with the radius of reel drum so as to provide its nip relieving characteristics. Cam 31 is not a part of the invention but is found on some modern reels and is included to illustrate the desirability of a flexible vacuum sealing arrangement between the bearing housing 62 and coupling 36.

It should be stated that roll 124 is shown against stop 126 on rails 122 supported on stand 128 as an illustration of its relative size and where a finished roll is positioned prior to being removed by a crane, which is usually as a new spool is being started at the location of spool 58 as shown in FIG. 1. When the roll on reel spool 29 has been wound to the desired diameter, pressure cylinder 112 is activated and the newly wound roll is rolled on rails 122 to stop 126 by arm members 100 of secondary arms 88. Concurrently, motor 24 is started to drive shaft 22 to rotate arms 16 and the reel spool 58 downwardly on cam 31. Cam 31 is designed to keep the reel spool from contacting the surface of reel drum 10 until it is within about 45 degrees of a horizontal line through the longitudinal rotational axis of reel drum 10.

When the reel spool is nipped with web W on the reel drum, vacuum pump 54 is activated to produce a subatmospheric pressure in reel spool 58. This vacuum may be applied to the reel spool slightly before it is nipped with the reel drum, as desired, to help provide a better pickup as, for example, when an especially light web is being wound. The sub-atmospheric pressure, or vacuum, will vary greatly depending on such parameters as percent open area of the performations in the reel spool shell, speed of oncoming web and its weight, but a range of vacuum between about 0.1 and inches of mercury should be adequate for most situations.

FIG. 3 shows a roll 130 rotating in the direction of arrow 150 nipped against the reel drum 10 and being driven and wound thereby with web W. The next reel spool 58 is positioned above reel drum 10 to be rotated downwardly and nipped therewith when roll 130 has been wound to a desired size.

Reel spool 58 is brought downwardly to nip the web on reel drum 10. As mentioned previously, the vacuum is applied to the reel spool either just prior to this nip contact or immediately afterward. Then, as secondary arms 88 move wound roll 130 along rails 122 away from the reel drum, its rotational speed decreases since it is no longer nipped and being driven. The trailing portion of web W, as shown in FIG. 4, begins to balloon 6 upwardly as the oncoming web is still traveling at machine speed due to the nip of reel spool 58on the surface of reel drum 10. The ballooned portion of the web 6 grows larger (FIG. 5) as the wound roll continues to slow down and more web W passes over the surface of the reel drum. The sub-atmospheric pressure within reel spool 58 creates an air current in the direction of arrows 134. The air film, or layer, represented by arrows 136 in FIG. 5, carried by the web more noticeably at high speeds is absorbed by this current 134 through the reel spool perforations 74 and the slightly reduced atmospheric pressure in the pocket formed by reel spool 58, reel drum 10 and the backwardly extending overlapping portion 137 of web W induces a force represented by arrows 138 in FIG. 6 on the other side of the trailing portion of web W to urge it into the nip N Once the ballooned portion of the trailing web 139 has been nipped, it is torn by the force of the momentum of wound roll 130. The newly started reel spool is then positioned on rails 122 where it is held against reel drum 10 by rollers 99 and the procedure begins again.

When the new reel spool 58 has started winding web W into a new roll, actuator 40 is de-activated, rod 45 is retracted upwardly, as shown by double headed arrow 9 in FIG. 2, and bell crank linkage 44 is pivoted about pin 46 to remove seal 41 from the end of bearing housing 62, thereby allowing the interior pressure in spool 58 to return to atmosphere. Vacuum pump 54 is also de-activated at this time. The vacuum pump and coupling could remain engaged after the new reel spool has begun winding the web, but after a few revolutions, the effectiveness of the vacuum applied to the perforations has been reduced to virtually nothing, so there is no reason for them to remain engaged.

FIG. 8 illustrates what tends to happen when it is attempted to use a prior art design reel on modern paper machines producing web speeds in excess of about 3,500 feet per minute. The cushion of air represented by arrows 140 is of such density that it effectively prevents the overlapped balloon portion 139 of the web from falling into nip N under its own weight. At slower speeds, this phenomenon is not a hindrance since no particular difficulty is encountered in having the extended balloon portion 139 of web W drop into the nip betwen the reel spool and reel drum.

Thus, a paper machine reel having a new and useful type of reel spool has been shown and described which embodys the features and advantages as set forth. While a detailed description of a paper machine reel embodiment has been made, it is to be understood that the scope of the invention is limited only by the appended claims.

We claim:

1. In a reel for continuously winding an on coming web into successive rolls, including:

a driven reel drum adapted to support the web thereon; a reel spool;

arm means supporting said reel spool and adapted to move said reel spool radially and circumferentially about the surface of said reel drum and be selectively engaged and disengaged in nipped relationship therewith to drive said reel spool disengaged; rail support means adapted to receive said spool from said arm means; wherein the improvement comprises the surface of said reel spool is perforated for substantially its entire face width;

means producing sub-atmospheric pressure is operatively connected to said reel spool during at least a portion of its movement about the surface of said reel drum and thereby creating sub-atmospheric pressure within said reel spool whereby from the off going side between the rotating reel drum and the reel spool is urged onto the reel spool to commence being wound thereon.

2. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein:

said sub-atmospheric pressure producing means is connected to said reel spool by retractable semirigid coupling means engaging the end of said reel spool means and adapted to tolerate at least partial relative movement therebetween while maintaining subatmospheric pressure within said reel spool.

33 The apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein:

said sub-atmospheric pressure producing means maintains a vacuum in said reel spool between about 0.1 and about l inches of mercury.

4. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein:

said arm means supports said reel spool initially at a point about the upper periphery of said winder drum surface;

said rail support means extend substantially horizontally from about the elevation of the axis of rotation of said reel drum;

said sub-atmospheric pressure is applied to the reel spool when said spool is near the top of said reel drum and maintained substantially until the reel spool is deposited onto said rail support means.

5. A method of continuously forming wound rolls of web material from a constantly oncoming supply comprising the steps:

a. nipping the oncoming web between a driven reel drum and a first reel spool, thereby winding said web material onto said first reel spool;

b. positioning a perforated second reel spool near the surface of said reel drum;

c. nipping said second perforated reel spool with said reel drum and bringing said second reel spool into the space between the previously wound roll and said reel drum;

disengaging the wound roll on said first reel spool from a nip relationship with said reel drum and removing it from the vicinity, thereby slowing its rotational speed relative thereto and permitting the web to balloon therebetween;

e. producing sub-atmospheric pressure within said second reel spool, thereby urging the ballooned web into proximity to the reel spool surface and into the nip between said reel spool and reel drum, thereby breaking the web between said first and second reel spools and initiating the formation of another roll on said second reel spool.

6. A method of continuously forming wound rolls of web material from a constantly oncoming supply comprising the steps:

a. initially wrapping the oncoming web onto a first reel spool;

b. driving said first reel spool to wind said web thereon;

c. positioning a perforated second reel spool near the reel drum surface above the web being carried thereon;

d. producing a sub-atmospheric pressure in said second reel spool;

e. nipping said second reel spool with said reel drum thereby engaging the web;

f. slowing the speed of said first reel spool thereby allowing a ballooned portion of web to emerge between said first and second reel spools;

g. rotating said second reel spool downwardly about said reel drum into proximity with the ballooned portion of web whereby the layer of air carried with the web is substantially absorbed by the entry air into said reel spool via its perforations, thereby urging the ballooned web portion into the nip between said second reel spool and reel drum whereupon the web is torn and the winding of a new web is initiated on said second reel spool.

i 4' l i I 

1. In a reel for continuously winding an on coming web into successive rolls, including: a driven reel drum adapted to support the web thereon; a reel spool; arm means supporting said reel spool and adapted to move said reel spool radially and circumferentially about the surface of said reel drum and be selectively engaged and disengaged in nipped relationship therewith to drive said reel spool disengaged; rail support means adapted to receive said spool from said arm means; wherein the improvement comprises the surface of said reel spool is perforated for substantially its entire face width; means producing sub-atmospheric pressure is operatively connected to said reel spool during at least a portion of its movement about the surface of said reel drum and thereby creating sub-atmospheric pressure within said reel spool whereby from the off going side between the rotating reel drum and the reel spool is urged onto the reel spool to commence being wound thereon.
 2. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein: said sub-atmospheric pressure producing means is connected to said reel spool by retractable semi-rigid coupling means engaging the end of said reel spool means and adapted to tolerate at least partial relative movement therebetween while maintaining subatmospheric pressure within said reel spool.
 3. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein: said sub-atmospheric pressure producing means maintains a vacuum in said reel spool between about 0.1 and about 15 inches of mercury.
 4. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein: said arm means supports said reel spool initially at a point about the upper periphery of said winder drum surface; said rail support means extend substantially horizontally from about the elevation of the axis of rotation of said reel drum; said sub-atmospheric pressure is applied to the reel spool when said spool is near the top of said reel drum and maintained substantially until the reel spool is deposited onto said rail support means.
 5. A method of continuously forming wound rolls of web material from a constantly oncoming supply comprising the steps: a. nipping the oncoming web between a driven reel drum and a first reel spool, thereby winding said web material onto said first reel spool; b. positioning a perforated second reel spool near the surface of said reel drum; c. nipping said second perforated reel spool with said reel drum and bringing said second reel spool into the space between the previously wound roll and said reel drum; disengaging the wound roll on said first reel spool from a nip relationship with said reel drum and removing it from the vicinity, thereby slowing its rotational speed relative thereto and permitting the web to balloon therebetween; e. producing sub-atmospheric pressure within said second reel spool, thereby urging the ballooned web into proximity to the reel spool surface and into the nip between said reel spool and reel drum, thereby breaking the web between said first and second reel spools and initiating the formation of another roll on said second reel spool.
 6. A method of continuously forming wound rolls of web material from a constantly oncoming supply comprising the steps: a. initially wrapping the oncoming web onto a first reel spool; b. driving said first reel spool to wind said web thereon; c. positioning a perforated second reel spool near the reel drum surface above the web being carried thereon; d. producing a sub-atmospheric pressure in said second reel spool; e. nipping saiD second reel spool with said reel drum thereby engaging the web; f. slowing the speed of said first reel spool thereby allowing a ballooned portion of web to emerge between said first and second reel spools; g. rotating said second reel spool downwardly about said reel drum into proximity with the ballooned portion of web whereby the layer of air carried with the web is substantially absorbed by the entry air into said reel spool via its perforations, thereby urging the ballooned web portion into the nip between said second reel spool and reel drum whereupon the web is torn and the winding of a new web is initiated on said second reel spool. 